I like Shooting Shark a lot now but initially, I hated it; found it long, slow and dull.

Now there's something about that bass line and the syncopated rhythm that I really love.

And I like Let Go. I agree the lyrics are asinine but who cares, it's a memorable, anthemic tune.

The only song I really like off Revolution By Night is Take Me Away. The rest is rather bland and unmemorable to me.

I do not own this album or the live album, but as always Shebop, enjoyed reading your take on the album, excellent job on this thread.

Isn't it time to move on to the next on Shlopo?

I dig this cover alot

After the poppish "The Revolution By Night", Blue Oyster Cult return with "Club Ninja" in 1986. It sold fairly well and produced a minor hit with "Dancing in the Ruins", but because of its high cost and poor reviews, it was pronounced a failure.

The sound on "Club Ninja" is similar to the slick pop-metal sound of the previous record, but with less of the 'metal' part. The production is crisp and clean, the band is tight, and all the signature BOC elements are in place...they just forgot to write memorable songs, so we get an album of accessible, radio-friendly hard rock penned by outside writers that's enjoyable to listen to, but easily forgotten.

"White Flags" starts things nicely. Immediately noticeable are the unnatural, processed sounding drums that brought "Revolution" down so much. Luckily, they don't distract from the song very much. Some great melodies in this one, both in the vocals and in the guitars. It has a cool plodding groove to it while still retaining the creepy heaviness. I think this is a cover song, but I'm not entirely sure of who it's a cover of.

"Dancing in the Ruins" is a great song, and the lone classic off "Club Ninja". It's obvious listening to this one why it was the only hit off the album. There's such an infectious, poppy feel to the music and lyrics that you can't help but sing along when the chorus comes in. So damn catchy. If Journey or Foreigner had recorded this, it would still be played every day on classic rock radio, but according to them, BOC only ever recorded three songs. But now I'm rambling...just a great, melodic hard rock song that's right up there with all the classic rock songs.

"Make Rock Not War" is just as stupid as the title suggests. The music is decent, with some nice pop-metal guitar riffs, but the lyrics are downright retarded and the vocals sound like your average third-rate hair metal singer. Even Buck's solo isn't that great!!! Okay, the song isn't horrible...but it ain't BOC.

"Perfect Water" is the first song to appear on the album that was actually written by someone in the band (A band writing their own songs? What a concept!). Undoubtedly a Buck Dharma song, this song is pretty good. Yeah, it's a little bit on the pop-oriented side, but it's pulled off very well. Buck's soft voice always belies his penchant for dark, haunting songs with lyrics to match. Catchy chorus in this one, with plenty of fiery guitar fills to keep you interested.

"Spy in the House of the Night" is okay. Great use of keyboards here, they don't dominate the mix, but they can easily be heard, adding lots of those subtle elements that always make this band's songs so complex. Some very cool guitar riffs going on in the background, complete with one of the best solos on the album. This is actually one of those rare occasions where the verses are actually catchier and more memorable than the chorus is. A good song, and certainly the most BOC-like of all the songs on the record.

"Beat Em' Up" is a cool arena rock number that could have been in a montage in "Rocky" or something. Sure it doesn't sound much like BOC at all, but instead we have a very enjoyable and hard rocking Styx song.

You gotta love a song that starts with Howard Stern. Him trying to sound all dark and serious is just hysterical. I'm of course talking about "When the War Comes". After Howie's part, the rest of the song is pretty good. If it's possible to fuse pop-rock with doom metal and disco, they accomplished it here. It's got that crunchy, plodding guitar riff that gets you stoned just by listening to it, high harmonies and soft melodies during the verses, and a cool chorus complete with loud, thumping bass. I have no freakin' clue why the background voice keeps saying "Hoogachaka". A decent enough song, but Howard's part is certainly the highlight.

"Shadow Warrior" starts out strong, with good riffs all around, but then kinda gets weird when the vocal section starts up. I'm not entirely sure who's singing...but they shouldn't be. The melodies are good and it's catchy enough...but those damn vocals just bug me. Still, if you can suffer through them, you will reach THE SINGLE MOST AWESOME BUCK DHARMA SOLO EVER. I know that these reviews are 60% Buck worship, but this one is totally the best. There is tapping. Enough said.

Closing things up nicely is "Madness to the Method". The word I would use to describe this song best is 'pleasant'. The soft vox and gentle piano complement each other nicely, even thoug the loud guitar riffs cut through them. Sure, it's a pop song, but it's a great pop song, with great harmonies, a lot of great guitar and piano riffs scattered throughout, and a chorus that's 100% rock n' roll.

In my opinion, Blue Oyster Cult have never made a bad album, but "Club Ninja" is not held in high regard among most fans. The album suffers from too much pop and not enough rock, in addition to having many bland and forgettable songs. Still, if you're willing to overlook the overly slick production and rock cliches of the 80's, you can find a number of enjoyable songs, and one of the coolest vinyl sleeves I've ever seen.

I've only heard this thing once or twice and was not impressed. Besides a couple tunes off Imaginos,this is the last of B.O.C. I heard.

The only song I like off this one is Dancin' In The Ruins and I agree that it's a great, catchy song. In fact, it's the only reason I even own this one on CD.

This is one of the few BOC albums I don't own, and now I can see why.

The only song I really like is 'Dancing in the Ruins' and the rest of the album features the worst songwriting in their career. Whoever was the genius who decided that maybe Blue Oyster Cult should do a full blown pop metal album should have been hung, drawn, and quartered.

Even the songs that have a bit of saving grace, such as ' White Flags' and 'Perfect Water', if this was a Bon Jovi this would be considered great songs but since this is Blue Oyster Cult we expect more.

I do not hate pop/hair metal or even pop music since I do like alot of bands from these genres. I do not even hate when bands do more commercial albums (see Metallica, KISS, and Alice) but in the case of Blue Oyster Cult this style sounds forced. Blue Oyster Cult has written songs in poppier vein before but for this album that style did not work for this album.

Can we please move past this abortion of an album and get to the next one?

It's that time again!

After being put in somewhat of a slum after a number of unsuccessful, badly received albums, Blue Oyster Cult pull out with "Imaginos" in 1988, and although it initially sold poorly, it has become highly regarded among fans, becoming kind of the cult classic of their discography.


Originally meant to be an Albert Bouchard solo project, the label put him back with his former band mates for this album. The slick-pop sound of the previous two records is all but gone, and in its place is Blue Oyster Cult's trademark haunting heavy metal sound combined with an updated production that fits the times perfectly. They even went so far as to re-record two songs from "Secret Treaties": "Astronomy" and "Subhuman", the latter of which is renamed "Blue Oyster Cult" to fit more into the story. Yes, that's right, a story. "Imaginos" is supposedly a concept album, but I have never really taken the time to examine the story. Well, whatever. Let's dig into it.

The album starts off promisingly, with "I Am the One You Warned Me Of". There's a cool 'clicky' bass sound, which I guess is odd because usual bassist Joe Bouchard doesn't even play bass on this album, and instead is on keyboards and vocals. Also noticeable is that the processed, fake drum sound of the previous two records are gone, replaced with Albert Bouchard's organic but still chunky drum sound. Killer guitar riff here, heavy as you can get, sounding like a predecessor to Alice in Chains "Man in the Box" riff. Couldn't think of a better tune to open "Imaginos" with.

"Les Invisibles" is a hidden Buck Dharma masterpiece. His voice lends a disturbing aura to this otherwise straight-forward rocker. The distinctive BOC 'muddy' sound is very apparent on this, but I think it works in the song's favor. The melodies are muffled and haunting, upfront but subdued, if that makes sense. There's a cool sonic density thing going on, lots of layers of sounds and all kinds of different things happening, some of which you have to really dig to hear, but add tons of atmosphere to this one. If the sound was perfectly crisp and clear, it wouldn't have the same effect.

"In The Presence of Another World" would have to be my pick for the best song off the album, and one of my favorite BOC songs. Truly an epic in every sense. The first section is an eerie arpeggiotic guitar riff with lots of subtle creepiness and Joe Bouchard's near psychotic sounding vocals. It's kinda ironic that Joe, my least favorite vocalist in the band, sings on my two favorite BOC songs; this and "Nosferatu". Anyway, after the opening, the band bursts into a pummeling hard rock groove that retains the creepiness of the first section. The transition is abrupt, but still flows nicely, not feeling too forced or sudden. Piano riffs, sound effects, horror-movie harmonies, Joe's surreal, murderous vocals, and schizophrenic guitar leads make this a downright terrifying song, and certainly one of the best songs Joe ever wrote.

"Del Rio's Song", after the terror of the previous track, sounds kinda uplifting. Surely the power chords and catchy melodies make this one of the more 'happy' songs on the album. Still, there's an evilness underneath the upbeat exterior, providing one of the darkest plot points of the storyline. Great rhythm in this one, with a memorable, almost anthemic chorus, and a kickass extended guitar solo.

"The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" ....quite a title, don'cha think? Anyway, this song starts off with a drum beat. Not just any drum beat, but the kind of drum beat that lets you know 'this song's gonna rule', and it does. Absolutely bone-crushing guitar riff here, complemented nicely by the keyboard arrangement. The vocals in this song showcase Albert Bouchard at his finest. His voice here possesses that raspy, over-the-top, 100% rock n' roll howl that Robert Plant and David Coverdale had. Also of note is the orgasmic solo by Joe Satriani, going from a somewhat mellow, high-note scale to full scale shredding filled with a sorrowful anger that few guitarists can achieve....but Buck Dharma's still better. Great harmonies here too, putting the icing on the cake for just another great song on the record.

Undeniably the thing most fans remember about "Imaginos" is that it's the album with the controversial remake of "Astronomy". The song is given a totally new face, appropriately sounding like something out of the 80s. The overuse of keyboards and vocal effects make this song sound rather dated in comparison to the timeless original. Also missing is the lengthy buildup the "Secret Treaties" version had, where the song gradually added on to a simple piano riff all culminating in a frantic chant of "Astronomy!" ...But while I don't think this remake measures up to the original, I still think it's a great, mellow song. The vocals on this version are better on this one, I'd say. I believe Buck did the vocals, whereas Eric sung on the original. Buck's softer, smoother voice fits with the chilling melodies better than the rough, growling voice of Eric did. The guitar is also much more apparent and the overall feel of the song nestling perfectly in the middle of the album. The original might be superior, but this version is certainly a better match for "Imaginos".

"Magna of Illusion" is up next. This one kind of fills in all the blanks, about the quest for the
mirror and its eventual discovery in the "Four Winds Bar". Albert and
Joe on background vocals here. An awesome piece of work, this song. The piano is very prominent here, working in perfect unity with the guitars and the loud, booming drums. When Buck sings "The party's over it's all over" it has that weird David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust cabaret feel to it, which I like.
The lyrics are wonderful, with that surreal quality the band always has, moving the story along vividly and in great harmony with the music.

When tables collapse
And floors have filled
And the party's over, it's all over
Sea-dogs and rockers will dwell on doom
I've warped the stuff of ground
What seems to be is not
Behind closed eyes
Realize your sight
Mine, granddaughter, proves a surprise
More light than sun
More dark than night then
More a snare than lust

"Blue Oyster Cult" is a slightly altered version of "Subhuman" off of "Secret Treaties". Like "Astronomy", it is given a much mellower, darker feel to it to fit in with the tone of the album. The lyrics are also a bit different from the original to fit in with the story better. The chorus is very moving. When Buck screams "Meet me by the SEEEEAAAA!", it really shows what a great and powerful vocalist they had in him. Fairly long song by BOC standards, clocking in at over 7 minutes, the solo not even kicking in until about 5 minutes in. This part of the story is a little cheesy, as our protagonist Imaginos is rescued by a "Blue Oyster Cult" and is brought to their leaders. ...just a little bit lame, guys.

Closing the record is the title track, "Imaginos". I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, other than that it's awesome. There's a cool horn accompaniment to the guitars that give it a real jazzy feel. Strangely, this song tells the first part of the story despite being the last song on the album. Huh. Not sure who's singing, probably Albert, but whoever it is, they have a great voice. A great end (start?) to a great album.


So there's "Imaginos". A bit of an oddity among the Blue Oyster Cult catalog, considering it wasn't even supposed to be a BOC album, but an oddity that's well-written and sounds great. One of the best records by the band, but sadly an often overlooked record, possibly due to it being out of print for a long time.

Random Facts
-Despite Allen Lanier being credited as keyboardist, Tommy Zvoncheck played most of them.
-This is the only Blue Oyster Cult album not to feature Eric Bloom on rhythm guitar, as he is only credited as 'vocals'.
-This is the only Blue Oyster Cult album not to feature Joe Bouchard on bass guitar, as he is only credited as 'keyboards and vocals'.
-Joe Satriani played the solo on "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria", in case you missed that part.

My favorite BOC album!!!

I like every track on this one. I agree with Schlopbob's review of "In The Presence Of Another World"; just a creepy, creepy song. "The...master...IS A MONSTER!!!!"

But my favorite song is "Blue Oyster Cult". Yeah, the lyrics are cheesy but I love the melody and the "chanting"..."We understand, we understand, we understand...and so do I...."

The whole concept of the album is kinda lame and doesn't make a whole lot of sense especially since the story is told in a non-linear fashion but the music on this album is simply great.

An excellent B.Oc. release and one of my favorite albums in their discography. I have no idea why this album did not do better. I picked up the album and was not expecting much after that horrid 'Club Ninja' but this album more than made up for that disaster.

Schkapop did an excellent review and overview of this album, love some of the verses written on this album:

'Your Master he's a Monster'

I thought this album would be the start of many more great things to come. Instead it would be several years between studio albums.

My only complaint about Imaginos is that it sounds like crap. Like many BOC releases, the production is murky; the highs are almost totally absent and the lows are hollow. I wish someone would remaster this album.

Imaginos is one of my favorite BOC records. The only track that doesn't really do it for me is the title track. The Siege.... absolutely annihilates, great obscure lyrics and lovely soaring vocals. Other faves are Astronomy (although not as good as the original) and Blue Oyster Cult (which imo is way better than Subhuman, which never did a whole lot for me).

Epic Win for you Schbopo for owing all of these albums. Has anyone talked about the Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult: Black and Blue dvd? I've never seen it, but that would have been one hell of a concert to go to in 1980.

I like songs off of both The Revolution By Night and Club Ninja, though I like Revolution's vibe alot more and theres alot of crap on Club Ninja. But Take Me Away, Shooting Shark, Dancing In The Ruins, White Flags, and Shadow Warrior I dig alot.

Imaginos however is one of my favorite BOC records.

At this point, Blue Oyster Cult were sunk pretty deep in the crevice that most 'classic rock' bands unfortunately fall into. They were remembered for 3 songs only, and had faded into near obscurity since "Imaginos". But ten years later, the band got back in the studio and released "Heaven Forbid" on CMC Records in 1998.

Their first release in a decade, "Heaven Forbid" featured 3/5 of the original lineup, missing the two Bouchard brothers. Since Albert and Joe were the usual sources of experimentation in the band, "Heaven" is more of a straight forward heavy metal/hard rock album, and but as the cover may indicate, retaining the creepy, sci-fi feel that BOC has had since their inception. Buck Dharma would pretty much take over the band at this point, co-writing all the songs on the album and taking lead vocals on 6 of the tracks.

Opening the album is "See You In Black", which is stinkin' HEAVY. Opening with a fiery Buck Dharma solo, this tune just rocks from beginning to end. Power chord-driven riffs, a headbanging chorus, and a rhythm section cranked up to 11. The lyrics describe a domestic abuse situation, which is unusually social for a BOC song. A great, dark, and heavy song to open a great, dark, and heavy record.

"Harvest Moon" was written by Buck and Buck alone. His compositions have usually been of a melodic variety, this one included. A simply beautiful song, with a very gentle vocal performance and guitar riffs that add texture but don't dominate the mix, making you almost be able to get into the subject matter, like you're feeling the evening autumn breeze....until the solo break. I mean, hot damn! Talk about a drastic change! This kickass solo would be more at home in a thrash metal song than on any BOC record! Yet somehow, it returns seamlessly back into the original arrangement. One of Buck's best songs ever.

"Power Under Despair" has Eric Bloom at his best. The lyrics seem to be about some kind of dispute among criminals, and Eric really does sound like some crazy lunatic just let out of prison. I can't really say too much else about this one. A good, rocking song while it lasts, but nothing too memorable.

"X Ray Eyes" has sci-fi writer John Shirley teaming up with Buck Dharma...and what a great song it is. The line between bombastically heavy and beautifully melodic is blurred here, and Buck seems to be caught somewhere between his voice and his guitar. There's a distinctively '90's' feel here, like the classic BOC sound is being incorporated into the times, and it works. The chorus and the blazing guitar solo are very upbeat, with a cool bassline if you can manage to hear it. One of my favorite songs on the record, written about the movie "X - The Man With the X-Ray Eyes"

"Hammer Back" opens with an awesomely heavy riff, and then a short guitar solo, before turning into..."You Really Got Me" by The Kinks? The riff, vocal melody, and even the short guitar fills sound like their ripped off from that song. Great playing but the cheesy lyrics and Bloom's wheezy singing make this a solid C+ in the overall BOC canon.

"Damaged" is another Shirley/Dharma song. And it really proves that these two were made for each other. This seems like a good song for a movie about motorcycles or something. The instruments all work together wonderfully, specifically the keyboards and guitars, the verses and chorus are catchy, the lyrics are kinda cool and as always, there's an awesome guitar solo. Just a great, hard rocking tune.

"Cold Gray Light of Dawn" is a BOC classic. Brooding, menacing bass line, bone-crunching power chord progression, searing lead work, excellent latter-day vocals by Eric and a smashmouth ending. What more could we want?

"Real World", another Shirley/Dharma tune, is built around a funky little acoustic guitar riff. This is kind of a return to the more 'fun' side that the band has possessed on occasion. That opening riff, along with the chorus, just sticks in your head and really makes you wonder why this wasn't a hit. This is probably my favorite song on the album, with absolutely awesome lyrics that seem to be about how people seem to be more concerned with illusions than the real world.


We're drifting in the waiting room
Call it real, but call me real soon
The world is living Gaia's at hand
Hear her laughing in earthquake land


"Live For Me" is yet another Shirley/Dharma song. It's one of the best, with probably the biggest injection of Buck's haunting sadness, most likely because the lyrics seem to be about Buck's brother dying, so it's a very personal song with loads of emotion. When the lyrics are read in conjunction with the song playing, it becomes positively chilling, and very tragic. You can practically feel Buck's pain in his voice and possibly moreso in his guitar lines. There's a singing quality to his riffs and solos that I find incredibly compelling...and wicked depressing. Poor Buck...

"Still Burnin" is like the retarded cousin of "Burnin' For You". The guitar riffs are good and catchy, and the vocal melodies memorable...but the lyrics are sooooo stupid, I can barely listen to it.

And for whatever reason, this album includes a live version of "In Thee". Why? I dunno. It's good, it's just...a bit out of place. This song was always one of the more happy, upbeat BOC songs, so it just feels kind of weird listening to it at the end of such a dark and heavy album.

So, that's "Heaven Forbid", the lone Blue Oyster Cult album of the 90's. A lot of fans dislike the album, often for its supposed lack of memorable songs. Still, I've always enjoyed it, as it really has a sound that's different from any other BOC record while still retaining their signature style, and really should have been a hit record, but most radio stations really don't give a flying f*ck about new music by 'classic rock' bands. But whatever. I'm not sure exactly why, but I love this album. It might be that I'm just a hopeless Buck Dharma fanboy, I dunno...

I don't own this CD, but when it was released it got mostly positive reviews from critics. It is an album I need to add to my list.

I need to check out "Imaginos" and "Heaven Forbid"

After "Fire Of Unknown Orgin" and a boring mailed in concert with B.O.C and Rainbow sharing the bill together, I gave up on both bands.

This board section was a groovy idea fer sures